news.cenet.topStanford lays off hundreds, blaming Trump policies

Desmond Milligan · August 6

Stanford University has announced staffing reductions affecting 361 people, blaming the Trump administration for funding cuts.

The university pointed to policies from the administration in its decision to reduce its general budget by $140 million to support operations. The drop in money will affect research funding and support increases in endowment taxes that were passed by congressional Republicans.

In June, the president and provost of Stanford told the community that while they will continue to advocate for the values of the university, “At the same time, we need to be realistic about the current landscape and its consequences. There is significant uncertainty about how federal support for universities will evolve, but it is clear that the status quo has changed.”

Funding for universities has been in a turbulent situation as President Trump has threatened federal money over alleged antisemitism on campuses, transgender athletes in women’s sports and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Collectively, the administration has paused billions of dollars to institutions including Harvard University, the University of California, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, among others.

Some schools, such as Columbia and Brown University, have been able to restore federal funding through deals with the White House, but not without agreeing to pay substantial amounts of money.

Along with staff reductions, schools and departments at Stanford were asked to create plans to “[p]osition the university to be resilient as federal policy evolves.”

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